Servant
by Ri2
Summary: Written by DiamondLatias3000, based on a character from Latias' Journey. What secrets lie within the shell of the mysterious ghostbug? What past lies behind the vicious Shedinja, servant of the Ghost King?


Disclaimer: Okay, I don't know if you'd call this a favor or what. The characters belong to Ri2, Shedinja's past belongs to me.

**Servant**

Shedinja sighed irritably. "And the lord wants me to do what?"

"Haven't you been paying any attention?" The Misdreavus stared at him disdainfully. "Sometimes I don't even think you care about the master's wishes."

Shedinja grunted. "He's become so stupid lately. Love is such a waste. Instead of tracking down that stupid dragon to bring her back, I should have been tracking her down to feast on her blood." Shedinja grunted. "I feel like an errand Pokemon."

Misdreavus shook her head. "You are to find Latias again and keep an eye on her. When you find out the identity of the boy she loves, you are to kill him. Then report back to the Ghost King."

"All of this is a waste. If I had a heart, I would rip it out myself. Emotions are nothing more than barriers."

"How can you be so cruel?" Misdreavus turned to leave. "It's a surprise that you haven't rebelled against the king yet."

"Don't pretend that you know me." Shedinja growled. "I have my reasons and they're none of your concern."

* * *

Years ago...

The morning sun broke through the clouds and cast a golden glow on the land. Deep in the Petalburg forest, a small Nincada clung on to the tree. Its body had been swelling and it had been preparing itself for evolution.

Finally, there was a loud snap and a glowing seam ran down its back. The Nincada stretched its brand new wings as it emerged from its old body as a Ninjask. The Ninjask flew over to an adjacent tree and stared at the sun.

"Soon, I will be able to leave this forest. I can travel the world and enjoy my freedom."

"You wouldn't leave me would you?"

The Ninjask turned and saw its old shell floating quietly behind it.

The shell repeated its question in a soft, childlike voice. "You wouldn't leave me here would you?"

The Ninjask snorted. "I don't need my old shell hanging around. You would only get in the way."

"You can't leave me! I don't want to be alone!" the shell protested.

The Ninjask sneered. "Get used to being alone if you want to be free. If you don't care about freedom, maybe you can find yourself a new trainer."

"NO! You won't leave me! I won't let you!" the shell cried.

The Shedinja glowed with a strange purple light and a massive Shadow Ball formed in front of it. The Ninjask stared on in horror. With a tremendous blast, the Shadow Ball shot forward and pinned the helpless Ninjask to the ground. The bug screamed in pain as the ethereal flames burned its body.

"Please! Stop! Don't kill me!" he screamed.

Shedinja stared at his other half for a moment. A strange emotion began to flood its mind. It felt like... joy. He began to laugh maniacally and forced more energy into the Shadow Ball.

Ninjask screamed as its body disintegrated and the Shadow Ball dissolved into the ground. Shedinja stared at the scorched hole in the ground for a moment, speechless. "I... I killed him... I'm alone... But that felt... good..." Shedinja laughed. "Death has such a sweet taste! I must have more!"

* * *

Later that week, a young trainer found herself wandering through Petalburg forest. She shivered in fear. The sun was going down and the forest was full of strange shadows. Every noise caused her to jump.

"Tr...treecko... please come out here... I'm scared..." She pulled the ball from her belt and released the small green lizard. It stared up at her for a moment and rushed forward, wrapping its arms around her leg. She laughed weakly. "You're as scared as I am. At least we're not alone."

There was a sharp crack from several nearby branches. The trainer and her Pokemon turned in fear. "Who... who's there?"

A strange shape floated through the trees and silently stared at the girl. It looked like a small brown bug with a strange halo.

The girl sighed with relief. "It's only a Shedinja. I've seen them on TV before."

Suddenly, the Shedinja spoke in a ghostly voice that floated through the air. "Are you all alone? I'm alone too. We could travel together."

The girl shrugged, despite being slightly creeped out by the fact that the ghost could talk. "I would really be happy if you could help me find my way out of this forest. It's getting dark and I'm scared."

The Shedinja bobbed happily in the air. "Follow me. I'll get you out of here."

After walking through the forest for what seemed like an eternity, the girl and her Pokemon managed to find their way out of the forest. She laughed happily and turned to the Shedinja. "Thank you so much! I wish there was a way I could repay you."

"Take me with you. I don't want to be alone anymore," he begged.

The girl frowned. "I'm sorry, I don't have any Pokeballs."

"That doesn't matter! I'll follow you anyway."

The girl shook her head. "You don't understand. I don't really like bugs. I'm sorry. Maybe you'll find another trainer."

Shedinja felt his temper begin to boil. He saw the Ninjask that had emerged from his back, ready to leave him all alone. "You don't understand! I don't want to be alone!" A Shadow Ball began to charge in front of him. "You can't leave me! You won't leave me!"

The girl took a step back in fear. "Treecko! Do something!"

The Treecko growled and charged Shedinja. To its shock, it bounced right off the ghostly bug's extremely hard shell.

"You would attack me? Is this how you repay me?" Shedinja shook with anger. "You're going to leave me here all alone and attack me?"

The Treecko stared for a moment and charged the bug again. Like the previous time, it bounced off the bug's shell and hit the ground panifully next to its trainer's feet.

"All I wanted was someone to stay with me and keep me company. But now you're attacking me?" A voice inside of Shedinja's mind screamed in anger. 'Kill them! They're trying to hurt you!' Shedinja screamed in fury and fired the Shadow Ball at the girl and her companion. It slammed into them with a tremendous force and pressed them to the ground.

Shedinja listened to their screams with sadistic glee. 'This feeling! It's come back! It feels so good!' He laughed and fired more of his energy into the Shadow Ball glowing on the ground.

The glow and screams subsided and Shedinja found himself alone in the silence. On the ground in front of him, a pair of charred skeletons lay on the ground, smoldering slightly. Shedinja stared at it in disbelief. "I'm alone. Again."

His body shook uncontrollably in frustration. Finally, his mind snapped and he vanished into the forest.

* * *

"That murderous monster must be around here somewhere! Spread out!"

From the safety of an enormous birch tree, Shedinja watched the group of humans spread out in the forest below him. "I have to get out of here. If they find me, they'll kill me."

Shedinja floated from tree to tree, panic filling his body.

'Why are you running?' He stopped and listened to the voice inside his head. 'You could easily kill them. Remember how good that feels?'

Shedinja smiled. "Yes, it feels wonderful..." Shedinja floated up above the forest and searched for one of the humans. Spotting his prey, he smiled and began to charge the Shadow Ball. Within seconds, the forest was filled with smoking corpses. Shedinja laughed. "That felt wonderful! Death is so intoxicating!"

* * *

"Find that monster and kill it! Burn the entire forest if you have to!"

Shedinja gasped. Killing a few humans was no trouble for him but there were no less than fifty humans sweeping his forest now, along with several dozen fire-breathing Pokemon, along with a few Rock, Flying, Ghost and Dark types, all of which were dangerous to him.

"How dare they try to destroy me!" He began to float silently through the forest, looking for a way out. He was completely unaware of the thick mist beginning to flood the area.

Suddenly, several humans and their Mightyenas burst through the trees ahead of him. "There it is! Kill it!"

Shedinja growled angrily and began to flee through the forest, the mist steadily growing thicker around him. Unaware of the terrain in front of him, Shedinja rammed into a tree and fell to the ground, dazed. As his vision faded from the mist that was springing up unexpectedly, he could hear the sound of footsteps approaching. "Dammit. Those humans think they can kill me? Never..."

* * *

Shedinja awoke to find himself in a massive void enshrouded in mist. He looked around for a moment. "Where am I?"

"_Arise little ghost. You are in the presence of the king of ghosts_."

Shedinja sneered. "I don't take orders from anyone." He slowly turned to see the speaker. To his shock, the voice seemed to have come from a giant cloud of gas with intense yellow eyes. To Shedinja's surprise, he could feel his body trembling in terror. He laughed weakly to himself. "Fear is almost as intoxicating as death. I love it!"

The Ghost King smiled at the small bug before him. "_I have been watching you for some time. Your... powers are quite impressive, even if your habits are somewhat distasteful. I think I may have a use for you. How would you like to be my general_?"

Shedinja laughed. "What makes you think I would work for you?"

_"I saved your life. You owe me. Besides, we have something in common."_

"Oh really? And that would be what?"

_"We're both lonely. Stay with me and work under me. I can give you power. I can give you company."_

Shedinja felt his mind ripping in twain. If he worked for this freak, he would never be alone again. But he would lose his freedom.

The Ghost King smiled knowingly. "_You will be free to come and go as you please. And if you don't wish to return, you don't have to_."

Shedinja laughed. "This is perfect! Except for one thing..."

_"Oh?"_

"Will I be able to kill?"

The king paused for a moment, thinking. Finally he looked at the ghostly bug and said, somewhat regretfully, "_If you wish it."_

Shedinja felt joy flood into his heart. "My liege, I swear my undying loyalty to you! As long as you keep your promises, I will be your loyal servant forever!"

* * *

Years later...

Shedinja stared angrily at the figure in front of him. It was certainly not a ghost. How had it come to the Realm of Mists? "What business do you have with my lord? Tell me now or I will feed on the sweet taste of your death!"

Mewtwo raised an eyebrow. "That's a big threat for such a small ghost."

"What? Do you have a death wish? I should kill you where you stand!"

Mewtwo shook his head. "I doubt you would be much of a challenge for me."

Shedinja boiled in anger. "You couldn't even harm me! Now you will die for your stupidity!" He charged an enormous Shadow Ball and sent it spiraling towards Mewtwo.

"You've assumed that I can't harm you." Mewtwo closed his eyes and pointed a hand at the oncoming projectile. "That's a foolish assumption to make." He charged an equally massive Shadow Ball and fired it into an interception of Shedinja's.

For a moment, the two Shadow Balls collided and hung in mid-air, sparking furiously. Suddenly, Mewtwo's engulfed Shedinja's and the now doubled Shadow Ball barreled at the small ghost.

Shedinja gasped and threw himself out of the way. He boiled, enraged that his attack had been deflect so easily. "Damn you! I'll kill you for that! I'll rip out your organs and twist your spine around your neck and-"

_"Stop! Cease your assault Shedinja!"_

Mewtwo and Shedinja turned to see the Ghost King, patiently waiting a short distance from them.

_"What is the meaning of this? Who is this non-ghost Pokemon?"_ the King asked.

Shedinja sneered at Mewtwo. "This... inferior creature has invaded our domain!"

Mewtwo laughed. "An inferior Pokemon that almost disintegrated you where you stood." He turned to the king. "I want you to free the traitors that you have imprisoned. They no longer harbor thoughts of betraying you and are frightening the humans that live there."

The Ghost King thought for a moment. "_I had completely forgotten about them_," he said, looking embarrassed. "_That was so long ago. Are they truly sorry_?" Mewtwo nodded. "_Very well, I shall free them on one condition_."

Shedinja was horrified. "My liege! If you free the traitors, what will that look like to your loyal followers?"

The Ghost King's form shook. "_No, I think they've learned their lesson. In any case, a good monarch must be capable of showing mercy, even to his former enemies. Otherwise, how can he inspire loyalty from his subjects?"_ He looked at Mewtwo. "_Well, will you agree to my condition?"_

Mewtwo looked curious. "That depends. What do you want?"

_"It's been so long since I've had company. Please stay and talk for a while."_

The Psychic shrugged. "_That would be no problem."_

The Ghost King laughed. "Very well. Shedinja, leave us!"

Shedinja turned grudgingly and left. 'I won't forget this. You have humiliated me in front of my lord. I will make you pay for that. I don't know when or where, but I will make you pay."

* * *

Some months later...

Shedinja stared at the small box floating before him. Inside, a small, beautiful ring rested. "Is this what I've become? The Ghost King's errand runner? I haven't had that feeling in months now!"

Shedinja threw the box to the ground angrily. "I've delivered flowers, chocolate, and letters! Now I'm delivering some stupid ring? This is not my purpose!" Shedinja seethed with anger. "What does he even see in such a plain and unimpressive Pokemon? Why do we need a queen?"

He sighed and picked up the small box, checking its contents for damage. "If he thinks this is best, I have no choice but to follow his orders."

With disdain, he floated towards the garden that his prey waited in.

* * *

An hour later...

"_She said what_?" The Ghost King's eyes glowed angrily. "_She has a lover_?"

"Yes my liege. However, I don't think he was present on Altomare." Shedinja stared at the nonexistent ground in silence. "I'm sorry. I have failed to bring you your wife."

_"It's not your fault_." The king sat silently for a long moment. His form trembled, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. _"Shedinja? You enjoy the taste of death, don't you?"_

Shedinja's eyes lit up. "Yes my lord! Of course!"

_"Destroy Altomare and everyone who lives there. Don't spare anyone except for Latias. Destroy EVERYTHING that she cherishes."_

Shedinja laughed. "That's more like the orders that I used to love. I will carry it out immediately."

_"Take my strongest ghosts with you. I don't want a soul left alive!"_

"Of course! It will be my pleasure!"

* * *

Shedinja took a deep breath as the smells of the city and sea began to fill his nostrils. He motioned to the ghosts behind him. "Wait for my signal. Then, eradicate this pathetic little town! It is our master's orders."

Moving quietly, he slipped into the garden. To his surprise, Latias was nowhere to be seen. "This will be easier than I thought." He laughed.

In front of him, a small gem glowed brightly on a pedestal. Shedinja lifted it up and stared into its depths. He could feel a powerful soul dwelling within it and smiled. "This may come in handy."

He ordered his soldiers to start the attack and flew to a large human dwelling he had already targeted as belonging to Latias' closest friends. It was dark inside but that didn't matter. He could feel his victims.

He floated over to one of the beds and stared down at its occupant. She was a young human girl that was one of Latias's best friends. Shedinja stared at her for a moment. She looked so familiar. He heard the chirp of birds and stared around him. He was in Petalburg forest, staring at the smoking body of a young human girl. Anger flooded him. "You left me alone," he whispered. "Apparently, killing you once isn't enough." He smiled and pressed his claw against the girl's throat. The sound of her impaired breathing was music to his ears. He pressed harder, memories and emotion filling him to the brim.

The girl struggled and her eyes flew open. She stared at Shedinja in terror, unable to make any sounds.

Reality and fantasy blurred for Shedinja. "You scorned me, left me alone to suffer. Now, your friend has scorned the one being who offered me solace. You will pay with you life!"

As the girl slowly died under Shedinja's claw, he laughed happily. "Ah, it tastes just as sweet the second time around!" He floated out of the room to check on the occupant of the house's other bed. He had been lucky. The girl's struggling hadn't woken the man sleeping softly in the other bed. "Good, it won't be too hard to finish my job."

* * *

Shedinja watched silently from the dark as a terror-stricken Latias appeared in the room. Shedinja listened to her moaning with a sadistic grin. Finally, he felt that the time for his appearance was drawing near.

"She's dead." Shedinja moved out of the darkness, the gem in his hand glowing silently. "I killed her in her sleep, the old man too. They made very interesting noises as I smothered them, but I don't suppose you'd appreciate that kind of thing."

Latias looked up, crying. "Why?" she whispered. "Why would you do something like this?"

"You scorned my master," said Shedinja emotionlessly. "He offered you his heart, and you broke it. And so everything you cherish must be destroyed." He held up the Soul Dew and smiled.

Latias gasped. "That's the Soul Dew!"

"Yes." Shedinja crushed it, sending crystal shards everywhere. "And now Altomare will die." He smiled and vanished into the darkness around him.

He flew to a pre-designated spot high above the predicted flood area and dropped a letter for Latias to find after the encounter. Sighing, he returned to his master. "This is a lot of trouble for a stupid romance."

* * *

Shedinja bowed to his master. "Altomare has been destroyed. Everything that Latias cherished has been wiped from the face of the planet." He grinned. "She is now on the run, searching for a place to hide."

The Ghost King stared at Shedinja for a moment, confused. "_Altomare... destroyed? What have I done? WHAT HAVE I CAUSED???_" He shook, looking distraught. "_She must be horribly upset, she'll never marry me... And now she probably hates me.... Shedinja!"_

"I'm still here my liege. What can I do for you?"

_"Pursue my fiancée! Make sure that no harm comes to her and bring her back to me!_" Panic filled the Ghost King's voice. "_Do not lose her! Not before I can explain myself! She must know the truth!"_

Shedinja nodded. "I will bring her back for you." As Shedinja silently floated out of the chamber, he smiled to himself. 'You never said that I couldn't have a little fun while I was pursuing her.'

* * *

Shedinja sighed in irritation. He had spent a week chasing his master's fiancée-to-be across Johto and Kanto. Every time they managed to get close to her, something would interfere and they would lose track of the fleeing dragon. To top things off, most of the ghostly army refused to move during the daylight hours.

According to the scarce intelligent that the ghosts could gather, Latias appeared to be heading towards a small town in Kanto known as Pallet Town. The only thing that kept Shedinja's mood up was the various trainers he encountered in his pursuit. Their deaths were enough to satisfy the hunger within him.

As the army approached Pallet Town, several of Shedinja's troops broke away from the army as scouting units. To his dismay, he began to receive strange reports.

"Sir, the scouts that we've been sending out have located Latias but they can't reach her."

Shedinja growled. "Why not? Is something wrong?"

"There's some kind of force field preventing us from getting to her."

Shedinja howled in fury. "Dammit! Why can't this be a short little mission? I'm getting sick of the love crap!" He charged up a Shadow Ball and flung it at the Gastly acting as a messenger. The ghost screamed and tried to get away only to find himself disintegrated by the phantasmal energy.

Shedinja inhaled the scent of death. "That makes me feel a little better. Get me another messenger!"

A Haunter floated up beside Shedinja. "Sir, the force field is down."

"Oh? Really? Why haven't you brought me Latias yet?"

"Sir, some humans appear to be attacking her."

Shedinja gulped. 'If anything happens to her, the Ghost King will kill me. I may be able to mess with her but I know to hold back.' Sweat ran down his forehead and he ran over the various possibilities in his mind. Finally, he turned to the Haunter. "What are you doing? Go help her! Now!"

* * *

Shedinja watched from afar with distress. He saw Latias and the humans being thrown out of the lab. To his dismay, he saw that the humans had surrounded Latias. "This isn't good. If they manage to capture her, I'll have a harder time getting her to my lord."

Shedinja moved quickly and materialized behind a human in a tacky science fiction costume. His army gradually began to move behind him. He stared at Latias for a minute and, to his surprise, her eyes caught his.

Latias quivered in fear and slowly backed away from the humans and ghosts. Lightning split the sky and she bolted. The ghosts edged forward slightly but Shedinja stopped them.

"Don't pursue her! I want to have some fun." In silence, the ghosts disappeared, leaving only the humans. Shedinja smiled. 'The hunt is on.'

* * *

The ghost army moved slowly through the fields of Pallet Town and Route 1. Shedinja did his best to contain his irritation but ended up slaughtering several of his minions and several wild Pokemon. Despite the fact that he was an excellent hunter, he had been unable to find any signs of the small dragon anywhere.

As the stars shone brightly in the sky above, Shedinja noticed an abnormal amount of flying Pokemon soaring overhead. He relieved some of his anger by killing several of the birds. They were all heading towards a nearby forest with looks of blood thirst in their eyes.

Finally, luck was on Shedinja's side. Hovering with his army in a state of invisibility, he heard several of the Spearow overhead talking amongst themselves.

"Hey, did you hear about that bitch that the boss almost fucked?"

"Yeah! I heard that she was a pretty fine piece of ass! If only Pidgeot hadn't interfered, we all could have had a go at 'er!"

A third Spearow spoke up, licking its lips hungrily. "Yeah, I wonder what a dragon taste like."

The first laughed. "I don't know, never had one before. She was a real pretty thing. All red and white. Damn, I hate we missed out!"

Shedinja's attention piqued. He floated up and turned visible. "Don't you imbeciles have better things to do? You should be ashamed of yourselves, raping innocent Pokemon."

The Spearows turned toward him. "You got something to say to us little bug? I wonder what you taste like!"

Shedinja laughed. "I'm sorry. I don't swing that way. From the description you just gave, you almost defiled my lord's fiancée. That is a crime punishable by death."

"Oh, who's going to kill us? You? And who the hell is your lord anyway?"

Shedinja smiled. "That is none of your concern. Your lives end now."

The second Spearow turned to his companions. "This bloke just threatened us! Are we going to take that?" He was answered by a chorus of "Hell no!" and the three birds turned to attack.

They never got a chance to move. They turned to find themselves face to face with an enormous Shadow Ball. Within seconds, they were engulfed.

Shedinja laughed manically. "Death is always so sweet!" He floated down to the ground where several of his troops were watching him in curiosity. "Well, what are you waiting for? You heard them! If this 'Pidgeot' interfered with their little gangbang of Latias, she may have taken Latias with her. And if they're heading to attack her, we can follow them. Go!" He sneered. "If any of those knaves touch my master's property, I will kill you all myself!"

* * *

A short while later, a bright white flash filled the sky. Shedinja looked at the forest in awe. He knew Latias was in the forest from the report his troops had given him. There was no doubt in his mind that she was at the center of this.

"What power," Shedinja whispered from over the devastation. "What incredible power. I can see why my lord wishes her as his wife." For a fleeting second he wondered if he could somehow harness that power for himself.

"Sir?" asked one of the Gengar under his command. "Shouldn't we go after her?"

Shedinja shook his head. "No need. That exertion will have tired her out. Soon enough she will collapse and be able to run no more. That is when we shall strike and claim her for our master."

Shedinja was right. According to his sources, she passed out after a half of a mile. Then, to the surprise of the ghost, she disappeared.

Shedinja stared at his messenger. "How the hell could you let her just disappear? Contact the Ghost King at once!"

The messenger disappeared, leaving Shedinja to pace and stew alone.

Hours later, the messenger finally made his way back to Shedinja. "Lord Shedinja, I have modified orders from the Ghost King."

Shedinja sighed. "Great, what now?"

"You are to continue your previous mission of tracking down and bringing Latias to our master. However, you are not to return without her."

Anger burned in Shedinja. 'He's telling me not to come back? But what about the promise he made?' Denial raced through Shedinja's mind. 'He's only saying that because he knows I won't fail him. There's no need to worry.' He roared in frustration and disintegrated the shocked messenger. "Get me another messenger dammit!"

* * *

Shedinja waited silently in the trees, listening to the two Pokemon talk. He had been combing the forests when he had seen Mewtwo flying away. Eager for revenge, he had followed. He had found more than he had bargained for. Shedinja smiled. 'I can kill two birds with one stone this way.

Anger burned in him. He was going to have to put up with Mewtwo again. He frowned. His dignity and devotion to the Ghost King would demand that he avoid any confrontation. However, he might have an opportunity to change things after his business was done. He smiled. 'That would be relaxing. I love settling old grudges.'

Finally, he heard his cue.

"Altomare's gone," Latias said quietly. "It was destroyed."

Mewtwo glanced at her, startled. "What? By whom?"

"By me." Shedinja materialized from the shadows of the trees. His army materialized behind him along with a gigantic Gengar covered in tattoos.

Latias gasped. "Shedinja!"

Mewtwo frowned. "Shedinja. What are you doing here?"

Shedinja sighed, annoyed. "I could ask the same of you, Mewtwo. This is none of your concern."

Latias was shocked. "Y-you two know each other?"

Mewtwo's frown deepened as he started charging up a Shadow Ball. "We've met. _What_ is none of my concern?" he asked Shedinja.

Shedinja sighed. "I have come on business from my lord. He sent me to retrieve Latias and bring her to his court."

Mewtwo blinked, but didn't lower the Shadow Ball. "What does the Ghost King want with Latias?"

"She is his betrothed."

Mewtwo's eyebrows raised and he looked at Latias. "You never told me that."

"I am not!" Latias said angrily. "I'd _never_ marry him! He destroyed my city and killed everyone I loved!"

Mewtwo looked at the ghost ninja, obviously confused. "Is this true?"

"Technically, he _ordered_ me to lead an attack on the city and to execute everyone there. The King didn't lift a finger." Shedinja smiled, remembering that night well. 'And I had fun doing it. What are you going to do about it?'

Mewtwo's puzzled look remained. "That doesn't sound like the Ghost King I remember. Why would he do such a thing?"

"The Ghost King's will is none of your concern," Shedinja said coldly. "Kindly step aside and let me fulfill my duty or you will pay the consequences."

Mewtwo made his Shadow Ball increase in size. Latias hid behind him. "I want to get to the bottom of this. Take me to the King and let's see if we can't straighten things out."

"I can't do that," said the Shed Pokemon quickly.

"Then you had best prepare for a fight, because I will not allow you to take Latias without one." He raised his arm and fired his Shadow Ball at the giant Gengar.

The ball exploded on impact with the colossus, causing it to fall over and hit the ground with the force of a small earthquake, knocking it out. Many of the ghosts backed away in fear, getting Mewtwo's point. Shedinja stayed put, fuming. If Mewtwo could take out their ancient giant Gengar, what chance did he have? "Fine," he said at last. "But only if Latias goes with you."

"No!" cried Latias, trying to shrink into nonexistence behind Mewtwo's back. Mewtwo grimaced. "She doesn't want to."

Shedinja shrugged, secretly laughing at her displeasure. "Too bad. She goes, or you don't. And even if you beat us all, we won't let you see the Ghost King without her."

Mewtwo sighed and looked at Latias. "Latias." She looked up. "It is imperative that I speak with the Ghost King. I must find out what is going on. But I can't go without you."

"I can't!" she cried. "He-he'll rape me or something!"

Shedinja scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, the King would never stoop so low as that. He cares for you too much. All he wants is to talk to you. He sent us after you in the first place so we could take you to him and he could explain everything."

She blinked. "H-he did?"

"Yes!" Shedinja sighed to himself. 'This is getting on my nerves.'

She glared at the bug. "Then why didn't you tell me that all those times you were following me on the way to Pallet Town or after I was kicked out of the lab?"

Shedinja shrugged. "Some would call me sadistic, I just see it as having fun. My master sent me to get you, but he didn't say I had to grab you right away or not have a little fun while doing it. I turned my retrieval mission into a hunt, with you as the terrified prey. It was just as enjoyable as when I smothered your family to death."

Latias growled. Mewtwo put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "You're just as disgusting as you were the last time we met. I don't know why the King keeps you on," he said angrily.

Shedinja cackled. "I may be thought of by many as a horrible evil thing, but I am also my master's most loyal and efficient servant. He can't afford to lose me."

"If you're his most loyal servant, I'd hate to see the disloyal ones," Mewtwo muttered.

"So what'll it be, Latias?" asked Shedinja. "Will you come?"

Latias glared at Shedinja. "If he just wants to talk...all right. I want to know why he did the things he did just as much as Mewtwo."

"And she is to return with me to this world when our audience with the King is done, is that clear?" said Mewtwo firmly.

Shedinja shrugged. "I make no promises on that, Mewtwo. What my master wants with Latias, other than to talk is his business alone. For all I know, she may even _want_ to stay with the King when this is over."

Latias snorted.

Shedinja's eyes started to glow, as did the eyes of all the other ghost Pokemon. Mist started to swirl into existence on the forest floor, enshrouding the clearing in fog as it rose. The mist came together in the center of the clearing and seemed to fold in on itself, compressing into a sphere. The sphere grew as more mist fed into it, until it was the size of a curled-up Onix. "The Mist Gate has opened," said Shedinja. "If you wish to enter the lair of the Ghost King, follow." He flew into the sphere, vanishing inside its swirling depths as the other ghosts faded away.

Latias and Mewtwo followed behind him. Shedinja could feel them enter the gate. He smiled. 'I never fail. I'm back where I belong."

* * *

Shedinja watched in disgust as Latias and Mewtwo fell through the portal. 'Why did I have to run into him? Of all the Pokemon in the world, him!'

"This is it," said Mewtwo. "The Realm of Mists."

"Eternal home and prison to the Ghost King," added Shedinja as he reappeared.

Latias looked at them in confusion. "Prison?"

"Prison," said a great, echoing voice filled with sorrow as deep as the Abyss Sea trench in the Johto ocean. "One from which there is no escape. For me, anyway." The mists around them roiled as a new creature emerged from the fog.

"Here they are, my lord," said Shedinja. "Your beloved...and a tagalong," he said, shooting a look of pure spite at Mewtwo. Mewtwo returned it with a withering glare so powerful Shedinja was forced to back down, promising himself he would get another chance later.

The King's gaze lingered on Latias for a few seconds, then he looked at Shedinja. "Shedinja, leave us. This is private business."

"Of course." The ghost vanished.

* * *

Shedinja floated silently in his private place until a Misdreavus came for him. "The lord will see you now. I don't know why you want to see him. Your orders were clear enough."

Shedinja sighed. "Shut up and get out of my face! My business with the Ghost King is not your concern!"

He floated to the king's throne room. The king stared at him. "What do you want Shedinja?"

"Latias left you?"

"Unfortunately. Things became to much for her and Mewtwo had to remove her."

Shedinja growled. "I don't see why you like either of them."

"It's called love, Shedinja. I love Latias and Mewtwo is a good friend. Maybe you would understand if you had ever felt love."

Shedinja snorted. "Emotions are useless. All they do is stand in my way."

"Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes my lord." Shedinja bowed as much as he was capable. "I don't agree with what you're doing. This is all stupid."

"But you're going to remain loyal to me?"

"You cannot make a promise and break it. Neither can I. I swore my loyalty to you as long as you kept your promises to me." Shedinja smiled. "You've kept your promises. I owe you my loyalty."

The Ghost King smiled. "Thank you Shedinja. Good luck with your hunting. Although, for Latias's sake, I hope you fail."

"You know I can't fail you my lord."

The king frowned and watched Shedinja vanish. "I will never understand him. But he is my best Pokemon...unfortunately."

* * *

Misdreavus stared at Shedinja. "You told the master that you didn't agree with him? I'm surprised you're still working for him then."

"There are a lot of things you don't know you little wretch. The master and I are kindred spirits. I will remain loyal to him until the end of my existence. Nothing could change that." Shedinja sighed to himself. 'I don't want to be alone. The Ghost King has fixed that.'

Fog flooded into the room and Shedinja suddenly appeared in a remote forest. "My lord, I will do my best. I will _never_ fail you..."

* * *

What do you think? 


End file.
